HBO Max sets January 13 for expansion into Germany, Italy and other Euro markets
HBO Max Italian original thriller Portobello
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has set January 13, 2026 for the launch of HBO Max into several additional European territories, including Germany and Italy.
The streamer will also launch in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein on that date, which WBD said will mean it is nearly at “full availability” in Europe.
Several HBO Originals have been greenlit for local Euro markets, including two each in Germany and Italy.
In Germany, HBO Originals greenlit 4 Blocks Zero, a prequel to gangster drama 4 Blocks, and heist drama Banksters based on a true story, both produced by W&B Television.
Other German titles set to launch on HBO Max in 2026 include a Beetz Brothers-produced doc about the theft of the ‘Big Maple Leaf’ gold coin from Berlin’s Bode Museum, while Jantje Friese and Baran Bo Odar of German prodco Dark Ways will produce a thriller series based on the dark Struwwelpeter tales.
In Italy, HBO Originals commissioned a drama about the 2011 murder of Melania Rea; Portobello, a thriller chronicling Italian TV host Enzo Tortora’s fight to clear his name; Gina Lollobrigida: Diva Contesa, which chronicles the battle over the legacy of a cinema icon; and Saman, about the struggle for freedom of a young Pakistani woman murdered by her own family clan for refusing an arranged marriage.
HBO Max will also carry the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, set to take place from February 6 to 22.
Also in Germany, HBO Max has struck output agreements with Leonine Studios and Constantin Film as well as German Warner Bros Pictures productions like Wunderschöne. In Italy, HBO Max will have the exclusive rights to Nonostante, from director and star Valerio Mastandrea, in addition to Daniele Barbiero’s debut feature Squali.
Outside of these local offerings, HBO will also carry US fare such as IT: Welcome to Derry, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Euphoria, Industry, The Seduction and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, as well as other titles from HBO, Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Bros Television, the DC Universe, New Line Cinema and Max Originals.
While HBO Max is moving full speed ahead with its launch in Europe, and is expected to launch in the UK in the early part of 2026, its parent company is in the midst of a high-stakes sales process. While it is too early to tell how the sale of WBD could impact HBO Max’s presence across the globe, if the David Zaslav-led media company were to strike deals with either Paramount or Netflix, which have both submitted bids, it would likely impact the streamer’s global footprint.
“We are thrilled to bring HBO Max and the stories that stick with you to new countries across Europe this January,” said WBD’s CEO and president of global streaming and games JB Perrette.
“With our strongest line-up of US and local HBO series yet, blockbuster local and international movies, and the Olympic Winter Games, it is the perfect time to make HBO Max available directly to subscribers. It has never been easier to enjoy the most talked-about series, hit movies, unmissable live sports, and extraordinary real-life stories.”
